Calibration methods and circuits to calibrate drive current and termination impedance

• US 9,391,613 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rambus Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rambus Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Huy M., Gadde, Vijay, Lau, Benedict
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHO, JAMES HYONCHOL
• Application Number:
  US14/884,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20160142053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 271 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/0005 Modifications of input or output impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/01 Modifications for accelerating switching
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 21/08 Output circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/24 the characteristic being amplitude
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0278 Arrangements for impedance matching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0298 Arrangement for terminating transmission lines

Abstract

Described are on-die termination (ODT) systems and methods that facilitate high-speed communication between a driver die and a receiver die interconnected via one or more signal transmission lines. An ODT control system in accordance with one embodiment calibrates and maintains termination resistances and drive currents to produce optimal output swing voltages. Comparison circuitry employed to calibrate the reference resistance is also used to calibrate the drive current. Termination elements in some embodiments are divided into two adjustable resistive portions, both of which are designed to minimize capacitive loading. One portion is optimized to produce a relatively high range of adjustment, while the other is optimized for fine-tuning and glitch-free switching.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit (IC) chip comprising:

transceiver circuits, each including a driver circuit to transmit data, a receiver circuit to receive data, each driver circuit including an on-die termination element exhibiting a termination impedance;

a termination control circuit coupled to the transceiver circuits, the termination control circuit to calibrate the termination impedances and a voltage swing of the driver circuits, the termination control circuit including;

a reference-impedance pad to couple to a reference resistor external to the chip;

a reference-voltage pad to couple to a reference voltage source external to the chip;

a comparator to compare a reference-resistor voltage on the reference-impedance pad with an external reference voltage on the reference-voltage pad and develop first control settings responsive to the comparison; and

an adjustable impedance, coupled to the comparator, the comparator to compare the reference-resistor voltage on the reference-voltage pad with a voltage from the adjustable impedance to develop second control settings responsive to the comparison between the reference-resistor voltage and the voltage from the adjustable impedance; and

a bus extending between the termination control circuit and the transceiver circuits, the bus to communicate the first control settings to the transceiver circuits.

2. The chip of claim 1, further comprising a counter coupled between the comparator and the driver circuits to accumulate the first control settings for communication to the driver circuits.

3. The chip of claim 1, further comprising filter coupled between the comparator and the driver circuits to filter the first control settings for communication to the driver circuits.

4. The chip of claim 1, further comprising latch coupled between the comparator and the driver circuits to latch the first control settings for communication to the driver circuits.

5. The chip of claim 1, further comprising a current source coupled to the adjustable impedance to draw a current responsive to the first control settings.

6. The chip of claim 5, further comprising a counter coupled between the comparator and the current source to accumulate the first control settings for the current source.

7. The chip of claim 1, further comprising a multiplexer to selectively coupled one of the reference-voltage pad and the adjustable impedance to the comparator.

8. The chip of claim 1, further comprising a register to store the first control settings.

9. The chip of claim 1, wherein the first control settings set the termination impedances and the voltage swing.

10. A termination calibration method for transceiver circuits on an integrated circuit die, each transceiver including a driver to transmit data and a receiver to receive data, each driver including an on-die termination element, the method comprising:

drawing a current through an external reference resistor coupled to the die;

adjusting the current through the external reference resistor to develop a termination voltage;

drawing the adjusted current through an internal reference resistor integrated with the die, the internal reference resistor exhibiting an adjustable impedance;

adjusting the adjustable impedance to develop an internal impedance; and

replicating the adjusted current and the adjusted impedance at each of the transceiver circuits.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the adjusting of the current through the external reference resistor comprises comparing matching the termination voltage with a reference voltage.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing the reference voltage to the die.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting of the adjustable impedance comprises comparing a voltage from the adjustable impedance with a reference voltage.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing the reference voltage to the die.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein replicating the adjusted current and the adjusted impedance adjusts a swing voltage at the transceiver circuits.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein replicating the adjusted impedance comprises distributing digital control settings to the transceivers.

17. An integrated circuit (IC) chip comprising:

transceiver circuits, each including a driver circuit to transmit data and a receiver circuit to receive data, each driver circuit including an on-die termination element exhibiting a termination impedance;

means for calibrating the termination impedances and a voltage swing of the driver circuits, the means for calibrating including;

means for receiving a reference voltage from a voltage source external to the chip; and

means for adjusting a current through an external reference resistor external to the chip based on a difference between the reference voltage and a voltage of the external reference resistor, and for adjusting a resistance through an internal reference resistor passing the adjusted current; and

means for replicating the adjusted current and the adjusted resistance at each of the transceiver circuits.

18. The chip of claim 17, the means for replicating the adjusted current and the adjusted resistance at east of the transceiver circuits including counters to store digital values representative of the adjusted current and the adjusted resistance.

19. The chip of claim 17, wherein the means for adjusting the current and the voltage includes a comparator, and wherein the current and the voltage are both adjusted responsive to the comparator.